Social Network for Developmental Disabilities: Meet New Friends
Learning how to meet new friends can be a challenge. It helps to have an online support network that can provide you with opportunities and resources to help you make it through the tough spots. Studies on friendship and depression have been conducted that show the value of learning to build lifelong friendships. It demonstrated that cultivating friendships and creating enduring connections is the real secret to happiness. When you have a developmental handicap, it can be challenging to learn social skills. Due to their limitations, those with cerebral palsy may find it difficult to learn how to form and maintain friendships. It can be difficult to get past involuntary movements, the inability to walk unassisted, speech impairments, as well as typical problems with autism and symptoms resembling autism. AFN and Live-LINK provide a social network for developmental disabilities designed to help you get out there and learn how to make friends.
Perform a Self-Assessment
You shouldn’t limit yourself to merely establishing relationships with those who have your developmental disability if you have cerebral palsy. On the other hand, it does not preclude you from connecting with and making friends with other adults who have cerebral palsy. If you can find someone who shares your love of sci-fi movies and cheesy nachos and also has cerebral palsy, you might have just hit the jackpot! Friendships are frequently founded on a common interest, experience, or history. Joining clubs or signing up for social situations is the best approach to work on social skill development and forming friendships with people who have disabilities and without.
What qualities do you have? What are your areas of weakness? What qualities do you look for in friends, and why should someone want to be friends with you? Do you have any interests or pastimes that might make for interesting conversational topics? Do you engage in any hobbies or pastimes that can be a great opportunity to meet others who share your interests? Accepting yourself and learning to be yourself around others might sometimes be the best approach to get people to see you for who you are instead of simply your impairment. So that no one can notice your wheelchair, walker, or involuntary movements any longer, let your personality, sense of humor, and intelligence show through. Find people that value you for who you are right now and learn to rely on your skills. Finding long-lasting friendships is easiest to do in this method.
Build Lifelong Friendships
The main emotional concerns that affect many adults with cerebral palsy are also those that may prevent them from forming friendships with others outside of their family or community. Feeling isolated, misunderstood, or unable to perform the things one wishes to do are the main causes of emotional stress and the impacts of cerebral palsy. In addition to rage outbursts, reclusive behaviors, and other anxiety-related manifestations, problems with lack of friendship and sadness are frequent. You may get past these typical problems and improve your quality of life by practicing social skills and making an effort to meet new people. Many young adults with cerebral palsy are in committed relationships, have lifelong friends, and frequently attend social events with their friend groups.
A person’s capacity to participate in particular activities may or may not depend on the severity of their handicap. The Live-LINK members-only app and our website both provide our members with the option to participate in online conversations in addition to attending live events. Making friends and independence have been linked in studies on people with cerebral palsy, so if you want freedom in your life, learning how to make friends is a smart place to start. Having friends entails having someone by your side on both the best and worst days of your life. All adults, regardless of whether they have developmental difficulties or not, struggle with making and maintaining friendships. Browse our website, get in touch with us via the website, or call us at 941-587-7172 to find out more about joining All Friends Network, our upcoming in-person events, and our online support services.